Telescoping and pivoting joints have been known in the art, for example in the design of aerosol medicament dispensers.
Various types of aerosol medicament dispensers, useful for the treatment of bronchial and other ailments, are constructed to be retractable into a compact storage unit. In its retracted position, the dispenser may be more conveniently stored, for example, in a purse or pocket.
Compact retractable aerosol dispensers are well known in this field, and an example of this type of dispenser is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,184,115. In order to protect the dispenser from dirt, grime or other external contamination, a protective sleeve can be incorporated into the design of the dispenser, the sleeve functioning also as a deceleration chamber and mouthpiece.
The sleeve-deceleration chamber may be telescopically extended from the main body of the dispenser, and then pivoted about the spray nozzle so that it projects outwardly at a right angle from the dispenser body. This kind of perpendicular orientation between the sleeve and the dispenser body, which carries an aerosol container, has proven to be easily and conveniently operated with a single hand, for the dispensing of medicament. Examples of medicament dispensers having the features discussed above are shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,994,421 and 3,927,806. U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,184,115, 3,927,806 and 3,994,421 are hereby incorporated by reference, and illustrate two types of construction for this kind of dispenser, and how the dispensers are operated.
Dispensers of medicament of the type herein referred to must be capable of convenient use by persons who are ill and in a state of discomfort or actually physically impaired. The dispenser must be simple to operate, and easily shifted between the operating and storage configurations. A design prerequisite for a dispenser having a pivoting sleeve is that the sleeve must not be pivoted in a direction which does not bring it into alignment with the spray nozzle. If the sleeve is capable of being pivoted in the wrong direction, medicament will not be properly dispensed, perhaps when the patient needs it the most. At the very least, this constitutes an annoying frustration for the user.
An additional potential difficulty with retractable dispensers of this type is that it is possible for the sleeve to be separated from the dispenser housing, because of a poor interconnection between the two, so that the device may easily fall apart. The present invention solves these problems in a way which provides a dispenser which is easy to use, reliable, of simple construction and easily assembled.